# List of ship launches in 1896

The list of ship launches in 1896 includes a chronological list of some ships launched in 1896.
| Date | Country | Builder | Location | Ship | Class / type | Notes |
| 28 February | United Kingdom | Barclay Curle | Glasgow | Polycarp | Cargo ship | For Booth Steamship Company |
| 29 February | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Iran | Cargo ship | For Edward Bates & Son. |
| 9 March | Sweden | Bergsunds Shipyard | Stockholm | Oden | Oden-class coastal defence ship | |
| 13 March | United Kingdom | William Gray & Company | West Hartlepool | Ebani | Cargo ship | For African Association Ltd |
| 14 March | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Istrar | Cargo ship | For Edward Bates & Son. |
| 28 March | United States | William Cramp & Sons | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Iowa | Pre-dreadnought battleship | |
| 30 March | United Kingdom | Laird, Son & Co | Birkenhead | Mars | Majestic-class battleship | |
| 9 April | United Kingdom | David J. Dunlop & Co. | Port Glasgow | Ibadan | Cargo ship | For African Steamship Company |
| 27 April | France | Arsenal de Lorient | Lorient | Bouvet | Pre-dreadnought battleship | |
| 27 April | United Kingdom | Allsup & Co. Ltd. | Preston | Perseverance | Tug | For Mayor, Aldermen & Burgesses of the Borough of Preston. |
| 28 April | United Kingdom | Pembroke Dock | Wales | Hannibal | Majestic-class battleship | |
| 30 April | Russia | Baltic Works | Saint Petersburg | Rossia | Armored cruiser | |
| 30 April | United Kingdom | William Denny & Bros Ltd | Dumbarton | Sussex | Passenger ferry | For London, Brighton and South Coast Railway |
| 14 May | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Canada | Passenger ship | For Dominion Line. |
| 27 May | France | Arsenal de Cherbourg | Cherbourg | Cassard | D'Assas-class cruiser | For French Navy. |
| 9 June | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Comic | Ferry | For Belfast Steamship Co. |
| | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | | Cargo ship | For |
| 11 June | France | Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée | La Seyne | D'Entrecasteaux | First class cruiser | For French Navy. |
| 13 June | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | China | Passenger ship | For Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company. |
| 1 July | Germany | Kaiserliche Werft | Wilhelmshaven | Kaiser Friedrich III | Kaiser Friedrich III-class battleship | |
| 9 July | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | European | Cargo liner | For West India & Pacific Steamship Company |
| 14 July | United Kingdom | John Brown & Company | Clydebank, Scotland | Electra | Brazen-class destroyer | |
| 14 August | United Kingdom | David J. Dunlop & Co. | Port Glasgow | Ilorin | Cargo ship | For African Steamship Company |
| 25 August | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Gascon | Passenger ship | For Union Steamship Line. |
| 2 September | United Kingdom | Portsmouth Dockyard | Portsmouth | Caesar | Majestic-class battleship | |
| 2 September | France | Arsenal de Lorient | Lorient | Saint Louis | Charlemagne-class battleship | |
| 2 September | Russia | Nikolayev shipyard | Mykolaiv | Rostislav | Pre-dreadnought battleship | |
| 10 September | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Pennsylvania | Passenger ship | For Holland America Line |
| 17 September | United Kingdom | Chatham Dockyard | Chatham, Kent | Illustrious | Majestic-class battleship | |
| 22 September | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Gaika | Passenger ship | For Union Steamship Line. |
| 6 October | France | Arsenal de Brest | Brest | Gaulois | Charlemagne-class battleship | |
| 7 October | United Kingdom | Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company | Jarrow | Bat | Star-class destroyer | |
| 8 October | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Arcadia | Cargo ship | For Hamburg America Line. |
| 8 October | United Kingdom | Blyth Shipbuilding Co. Ltd | Blyth | Ardova | Steamship | For Ardova Steamship Co. Ltd. |
| 8 October | France | Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée | La Seyne | Catinat | Catinat-class cruiser | For French Navy. |
| 21 October | United Kingdom | Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company | Govan, Scotland | Diadem | Diadem-class cruiser | |
| 17 November | United Kingdom | Earle's Shipbuilding | Hull | Dresden | Passenger steamer | For Great Eastern Railway |
| 21 November | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Arabia | Cargo ship | For Hamburg America Line. |
| 3 December | United Kingdom | Portsmouth Dockyard | Portsmouth | Furious | Arrogant-class cruiser | |
| 4 December | United Kingdom | Armstrong, Mitchell and Company | Newcastle upon Tyne | New Orleans | Protected cruiser | Laid down for Brazilian Navy, purchased by United States Navy |
| 5 December | United Kingdom | Laird, Son & Co. | Birkenhead | Locust | Earnest-class destroyer | |
| 5 December | United States | | Bath, Maine | Newport | Gunboat |
| 5 December | United Kingdom | Harland & Wolff | Belfast | Oravia | Passenger ship | For Pacific Steam Navigation Company. |
| 5 December | United Kingdom | Sheerness Dockyard | Sheerness, Kent | Proserpine | Pelorus-class cruiser | |
| 5 December | United States | | Bath, Maine | Vicksburg | Gunboat | |
| 8 December | United Kingdom | Portsmouth Dockyard | Portsmouth | Gladiator | Arrogant-class cruiser | |
| 21 December | United Kingdom | Armstrong, Mitchell and Company | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | Pactolus | Pelorus-class cruiser | |
| 23 December | United States | Crescent Shipyard | Elizabeth, New Jersey | Annapolis | Gunboat | |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | Ailsa Shipbuilding Co Ltd. | Troon | Britannia | Paddle steamer | For P. & A. Campbell. |
| Unknown date | Germany | | | Alesia | steamship | Given to the United Kingdom after World War I |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | Brown & Clapson | Barton-upon-Humber | Fortuna | Lighter | For A. Willoughby. |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | Brown & Clapson | Barton-upon-Humber | Juno | Sloop | For George Hill. |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | Brown & Clapson | Barton-upon-Humber | Lilian | Sloop | For William Aaron. |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | Allsup & Co. Ltd. | Preston | Lord Nelson | Paddle steamer | For Great Yarmouth Steam Tug Co. Ltd. |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | Beeching Brothers Ltd. | Great Yarmouth | Milton | Steam drifter | For Horatio Fenner Ltd. |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | Brown & Clapson | Barton-upon-Humber | Sarah Ellen | Sloop | For Benjamin Barraclough & William Barraclough. |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | Allsup & Co. Ltd. | Preston | Stella | Merchantman | For private owner. |
| Unknown date | United Kingdom | Allsup & Co. Ltd. | Preston | Vixen | Tug | For T. W. Fox. |